Those You've Known
by BroadwayStarToBe
Summary: Ashley recalls her past and how she met her of her dearest friends. As she recalls the details to her granddaughter she reminisces over those she's known and loved. COPYRIGHT 2010
1. David and Marcela

__"Your name is Ashley Taylor Sosa-Lugo, correct?" Hannah asked as she saw the red recording light go on.

"Correct."

"You married David Christopher Lugo?"

"Yes, He died a little over a year ago."

"How did you two meet?"

"School."

"Could you elaborate?"

_**"Mimi, isn't Dave so cute?" I asked looking up from the rough draft of the story she was writing.**_

_** "Sure." She laughed.**_

_** "But he doesn't even know I'm alive." I sighed.**_

_** "Yes he does." She smiled evilly. "DAVE!" She yelled to the table across from us. Dave got up and walked over to us. **_

_** "You're trying out for the school play, right?" She asked.**_

_** "Oh, I don't know Meems." He said.**_

_** "Please, you are so talented." She gushed. "Isn't he just too talented not to Ash?" She said glancing towards me.**_

_** "Totally." I said to the ground. "You have too much talent to waste." I said looking up into his warm brown eyes. **_

"The rest is history." I smiled. "I fell for him right then and there. No one else I was with mattered."

"That's so cute." Hannah smiled. "Okay, wait, who is Mimi?"

"Marcela Camilla Conord. One of my best friends."

"Does she have a story?"

_** "Okay." Miss DiMatteo's voice on the overhead began, "Alec Gottlick, Ashley Sosa, Nicolette Sosa, Mimi Conord, Angel Shultz, Alicia Vincento, Adelina Vincento and Elizabeth Whiney to the office now please." I got up from my seat and walked through our tiny little middle school to the main office. **_

_** "I'm Ashley, I was called down." I said to the petite lady behind the wooden counter. **_

_** "Here you are." She handed me a letter. **_

_** "APA?" I asked reading the front of the letter. **_

_** "The Academy of Performing Arts." A voice said behind me. I turned around and saw a girl with green eyes and medium blonde hair. "I'm Mimi." She smiled. "You're Ashley, right?" I nodded. "Nice to meet you. Well this is for all the kids the advisors at the school saw to display the qualities and talents they want for APA's class of 2015." **_

_** "Oh." I said. She laughed. **_

_** "You're gonna be going to a high school for just talented kids in dance, acting, singing, stage crew etc."**_

_** "Awesome." I said. She smiled.**_

_** "I'll see you around Ash." She linked arms with a boy who had dirty blonde hair and beautiful hazel eyes. I think he had a tongue ring. **_

"Then after that I found out the boy's name was Angel. He really lived up to his name over the years. Mimi and I became instant friends after that, we stayed friends till she died."

"How did she die?" Hannah asked.

"She died like she lived, very dramatically with a theatrical flare." I said smiling. "Her husband Russell died 5 years ago of a heart attack. Mimi was heartbroken. She loved Russell more then anyone could possibly love another person. After Russell died in the hospital Mimi kissed him and told him she would see him soon. She went home put on the dress she wore to her last Tony award's show, she laid in bed and died. The doctors said she died of a broken heart."

"That's so romantic." Hannah gushed. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"How Mimi died?" She asked.

"As true as can be." I said smiling. "Mimi was a very, how do I put it, she was simply remarkable. I knew from the day I met her she would march to the beat of her own drummer. She never got a traditional job, she never had a traditional family. Everything she did was out of the ordinary." I laughed. "She managed to outdo herself in everything, even the way she died."

"Aw." Hannah said whimpering. I smiled fondly as I saw in my mind Mimi as the young girl I met in the main office.

"Did Mimi ever do anything else extraordinary?" She asked. I laughed.

"Well she was on Broadway, raised 5 kids, and survived the death of her brother when he was only 18."

"That's Jimmy, right?"

"Correct."

"Wow." Hannah said.

"Yeah." I smiled. "I loved Mimi." Hannah turned the recording light off.

"Let's take a break." She said taking out her phone.

"Okay dear." I closed my eyes and saw Mimi again, this time as the bright girl who made her debut in Rent at age 18 as Maureen.

"Simply Remarkable..." I muttered to myself.


	2. Angel and James

"So you mentioned Angel? Who's He?" Hannah asked turning the recording light back on and taking a bite of a chocolate chip cookie I made earlier.

"Angel is best described in word Mimi said years and years ago. 'A Broadway-Star-Dedicated-Father-Drag-Queen-Extraordinare-Pointe-Dancing-Chevy's-Waiter-Pyro-Performing-Inspiring-Adopted-Older-Brother'. But to me he was just amazing."

"Wait, he was a dancer and a drag queen?" She said smiling.

"Yes, but back then being a drag queen wasn't as accepted as it is now. Hell, gays weren't even allowed to get married."

"Why?"

"Everyone was too afraid." I sighed. "They didn't like change."

"Oh."

"Yeah, it was bad times for the LGBT crowd."

"Anyway, Back to Angel." Hannah smiled.

_**"Angel please tell Ashley she looks fine." Mimi sighed.**_

_** "Ashley. You look fabulous." He smiled and patted my head.**_

_** "Thanks but I mean. It's my first date with Dave." I flopped onto the couch. "I want to look perfect." **_

_** "Ashley, You are perfect. Not because of what you wear, although you do look hot in that outfit, but because you are smart, funny, beautiful and extremely talented. If he can't see that then it's his loss." Angel said smiling.**_

_** "Thanks Angel. You're the best. You truly live up to your name." I said standing up and hugging him.**_

_** "Thanks kiddo but I'm no Angel."**_

"He sounds awesome." Hannah said.

"He was." I smiled.

"How did you meet him?"

_ **"Mimi I swear to god if you say sparkle or glitter one more time I'm gonna bite you." I said laughing. **_

_** "What I like..." She stopped for a moment. "A word that rhymes with litter and smarkle." She laughed.**_

_** "You're an idiot." I laughed. **_

_** "Mimi." A boy with brown hair and hazel eyes walked towards us. He was the boy I saw walking with Mimi in the office a couple weeks ago. "You know what I just realized?" He looked at me. "Oh, sorry to interrupt." He smiled. "I'm Angel." **_

_** "I'm Ashley." I smiled. "Are you and Mimi together?" Mimi started to laugh hysterically and Angel threw his pencil at her.**_

_** "No." Angel said. "I'm gay." **_

_** "Oh." I said blushing. "Sorry."  
"Eh, it's no big deal." He leaned really close to me and whispered, "This is my straight guy costume."**_

"He seems like such a fun person." Hannah said smiling.

"He was." I said.

"So you also mentioned Jimmy, Mimi's brother."

"Ah, Jimmy." I said leaning back in the diving room chair.

"Fond memories?" Hannah asked flipping the hair out from her eyes.

_**"Jimmy, how many times have I told you that fireworks are illegal?" Mimi asked walking into the backyard, throwing her backpack down on the table.**_

_** "Sh!" He said as he knelt down next to it. "Lighter?" He called to Jayden. "Thank you." He said as he caught it and lit the bottom. He ran back towards the house. "Ashley." He grabbed my arm and pulled me back as the firecracker went sailing into the sky.**_

_** "Why is it raining paper?" Mimi asked.**_

_** "We tied some school books to it." Jayden said laughing.**_

_** "Awesome." I said laughing. "Can you do it to mine?" **_

_** "Sure." Jimmy said. "I should just get mine out of the tree first." He picked up a rake and began to rake the trees. **_

_** "Here." I said grabbing another raking and standing on my tiptoes to reach the leaves that were caked with notebook paper. **_

_** "You're too short Ash." Mimi said laughing. **_

_** "Jayden, take this." Jimmy said handing the rake to him. "Get on." He said leaning over. I hopped onto his shoulders and laughed as he got up and I could reach the leaves. **_

_** "Hey guys I'm..." Connie, Mimi and Jimmy's mom said walking into the back yard with Angela in tow. "What are you doing?"**_

_** "Raking the leaves." Jimmy said.**_

_** "I don't want to know." Connie said walking into the house.**_

_** "Blowing up school books again?" Angela asked.**_

_** "Yeah pretty much." Mimi said. **_

"Awesome." Hannah said.

"Don't try that at home." I said laughing. "Your mom would kill me."

"I wont." She said laughing. "Wait, who's Angela?"

"That's Mimi and Jimmy's sister." I said. "Well, technically only Jimmy's."

"Explain."

_**"So truth or dare?" Jayden asked Mimi. **_

_** "Truth. I will never choose dare." She laughed.**_

_** "Did you and Angel ever hook up?" Jayden asked.**_

_** "Ah, GROSS!" Mimi exclaimed. Angel started laughing hysterically. **_

_** "Can we please just tell them?" Angel asked her.**_

_** "Sure." Mimi smiled. "I was adopted. Jimmy and Angela aren't really my siblings." Mimi smiled. "But recently I discovered I did have a biological twin brother, Angel." **_

_** "No way." Adelina said.**_

_** "True story." Angel laughed.**_

_** "So if Angela and Jimmy aren't related why do they look so much alike?" Alicia asked.**_

_** "You're so pretty." Angel said.**_

_** "I am not." Alicia said pouting. We all laughed and expressed our mutual agreement. **_

__"Why did she not want to be pretty?" Hannah asked.

"That is a whole other story." I said laughing.

"I got plenty of time and recording time left."

_**"Remember Mr. Watson?" Alicia said giggling as she ran up to us with Nikki following close behind her trying to dart through all the dancers on the dance floor at Autumn and Sam's wedding.**_

_** "The creepy ass history teacher?" Angel asked her. **_

_** "Yes." Nikki said rolling her eyes.**_

_** "Yes I do." Adelina said.**_

_** "I bet he's the Mr. Watson from the Ke$ha song." She said bouncing up and down. We all laughed hysterically. **_

_** "You are so pretty." Angel said patting her on the head. She flipped her hair.**_

_** "Yes I am." She said.**_

_** "Stunningly beautiful dear." Adelina said laughing.**_

_** "Wait I don't get it." Alicia said when she realized we all knew something she didn't.**_

_** "Well," Mimi said joining in our conversation, "When a performer on Broadway is very blonde and has no idea what is going on around her or says something so stupid instead of pointing out how completely blonde she is we all just say she or he is so pretty." Mimi explained laughing.**_

_** "You lost me at and 'has no idea what's going on.' After that it was just pretty music." Alicia said drifting towards a cute boy who was alone. "Dibs!" She said walking over to him. **_

"That's so funny." Hannah said. "I have to start using that."

"Go for it." I laughed.

"So you said it was Sam and Autumn's wedding?"

"Yes."

"Who are they?"

"Well Sam was the doctor who tried to save Jimmy after the car crash and Autumn is, well was, one of Mimi's best friends."

"Okay." She turned the recording light off. "I have to go get my friend Jimmy from his dance lessons. I'll be back in like a half hour, Okay Nan?"

"Okay baby girl."


	3. Nicolette and Alicia

"You're Jimmy, right?" I asked. His face looked so familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Yes Ma'am." He said.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" I asked.

"Maybe you know my mom, her name is Allyson." He said sitting down. I thought for a moment.

"Now, you're not talking about Allyson Grace Lopez are you?" I asked skeptically.

"Yes Ma'am."

"My god. Small world." I said.

"What do you mean Nanny?"

"James Richard the 5th?" I asked him sceptically.

"Yes Ma'am." He laughed.

"Hannah, you are dating Angel's grandson." I said as she turned the recording light back on.

"Seriously?" She asked.

"Seriously." I laughed.

"I thought Angel was gay?"

"He was." I said.

"Then how did he have grandchildren?" She smiled and sat on Jimmy's lap.

_**"Okay. You promise you guys wont freak?" Angel said walking into the apartment I shared with Nikki, my fiancée Dave, Alicia and her boyfriend Cameron. **_

_** "Why would we freak?" Alicia asked. **_

_** "Agreed." I said. "You and Mimi are finally back from a two-year long tour. We missed you both like crazy."**_

_** "I'm here." Mimi said prancing elegantly through the door with a baby in her arms. **_

_** "Mimi, you didn't!" Nikki said. **_

_** "Chill." She said. "No, I didn't."**_

_** "I did." Angel said.**_

_** "What?" Everyone shouted in unison. With us unison never happened except apparently today. **_

_** "Okay, you see thing's happened." He began.**_

_** "Alcohol was involved." Mimi added.**_

_** "Shut up." He said taking the baby out of her arms. "Anyway, long story short, this is Allyson Grace Lopez, daughter of Shayna Lopez and yours truly."**_

_** "Aw she's adorable!" I said. "Can I hold her?" Angel smiled and put her into my arms.**_

"That's awesome." Hannah said.

"Mhm." I smiled.

"Wait, you mentioned Nikki and Alicia."

"Nikki, Nicolette, was my sister. Alicia was one of my dearest friends."

_**"Where's Nikki?" I said dropping my dance bag on the steps of the performing arts school next to Mimi, Angel and Alicia. **_

_** "In that tree." Angel said pointing towards a large oak tree where sure enough Nikki was perched. **_

_** "Why are you up there?" I asked sitting on the ledge of the stairs and tucking my legs under me.**_

_** "Thinking 'bout college." She replied calmly.**_

_** "And you need to be in a tree to do that?" I asked laughing.**_

_** "You know," Alicia began, "I could get a scholarship to Harvard or Yale or something but I'd just end up losing it." Angel sighed.**_

_** "You are so pretty." Mimi said laughing. "Shit!" She exclaimed looking at her phone.**_

_** "Crap." Angel said checking his. "We gotta go. Our train leaves in a half hour and we still gotta pack." Mimi grabbed her bag and ran off with Angel. **_

_** "What are you planning for college?" I asked Nikki.**_

_** "I have no clue." She said sighing. "Thus being in the tree." I laughed. "What about you?" She looked at me. **_

_** "Juliard." I said. **_

"Wait, Did you go to Juliard?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah, for a year."

"Then what?" She asked.__

__"I transferred to NYU for my teaching degree."

"Teaching, ew, gross!" Hannah laughed.

"I spend my life teaching girls and boys how to dance. That's what I wanted all along. And to tell you the truth, part of me did it because that's what Jimmy was going to do. He wanted to teach kids to play instruments but he couldn't so I figured I'd do what I love and have him live on in me at the same time."


	4. A Decagon and A Boxcutter

"These cookies are delicious Ma'am." Jimmy said.

"Please stop calling me Ma'am." I laughed. "It's Nanny or Ms. Lugo."

"Okay Mrs. Lugo." He said smiling as Hannah turned the recording light back on.

"You seem like you and Dave had it perfect. That must've been nice." Hannah said.

"Oh, Hannah." I laughed. "If I taught your mother anything it's that nothing is perfect, she must have passed that down to you."

"Well you never mentioned one bad thing about your relationships in high school, middle school or even college." She implied.

_**"So basically, you made out with Tyler, who is still hung up on Nellie, while you're still hung up on Alec, who is hung up on Graciana, while you're recovering from your crush on Ryan who is now in love with his girlfriend Ally all while you are dating Sam. Wow, thats a mouthful." Mimi said laughing.**_

_** "I know." I replied into the phone I had cradled in between my ear and my shoulder while I sat comfortably typing up my story as she did the same with hers. I listened to her type rapidly away. **_

_** "This is bad." She said.**_

_** "I know." **_

_** "Wait!" She exclaimed laughing hysterically.**_

_** "What?"**_

_** "You are also secretly in love with Dave who is secretly in love with Angela." She said laughing to a point where she couldn't breathe. "It's more then a love triangle, It's a freaking love decagon."**_

_** "Not funny Mimi." I said growling.**_

_** "Very funny Ashley." She laughed. **_

_** "How did this happen?" I sighed. **_

_** "I blame Ryan." She said breathing sharply into the phone. I figured it had something to do with the fact Russell was over and was obsessed with catching her by surprise. **_

_** "Why do you blame Ryan?" I asked.**_

_** "He told Tyler to kiss you. Tyler can't do anything without reassurance." She explained. "Nellie was the same way. She wouldn't have cut Ty had he not told her to." **_

"Wait, what?" Hannah exclaimed. "Nellie cut Tyler?"

"Another long, long story."

"I have time." She said leaning back into Jimmy's arms.

_** "Could you get me a little higher?" I asked Derek, my current boyfriend, who was pushing me on the swings. **_

_** "Sure!" He said laughing. **_

_** "Oh my fucking god!" Nellie exclaimed. I looked down and saw blood start to pool on his wrist, I hopped of the swing while it was still moving much to Derek's disapproval every time I did that.**_

_** I walked over to Tyler and Nellie and stood in shock. **_

_** "Shit, dude!" Derek said. **_

_** "Tyler, there's so much blood." **_

_** "Nah, don't worry it's just a little scratch." **_

_** "Dude, that's not a little scratch." Derek said.**_

_** "Shit!" Alicia said. "This is gross but it'll work." She reached into her bag and pulled out a pad and placed it on his arm.**_

_** "That's disgusting." Nellie's current boyfriend Brendan said walking away. **_

_** "You know it's what Mimi would do." Alicia yelled walking after him. Nellie pulled out her phone and sent one single text to Mimi, "I cut Tyler." Tyler looked at Nellie, then at me and began to walk away. **_

_** "Tyler. Wait." Nellie exclaimed walking after him crying. I followed her and Derek followed me as we all followed Tyler who was walking towards my Grandparent's house. **_

__"What'd she cut him with?" Hannah asked.

"Box cutter." I said sighing.

"How did she manage to get a hold of one of those?" Hannah gasped.

"She got it from her mom's toolbox and kept it in her bra all day." I explained. "She later got suspended from school and charged by the state for having a weapon in school. Tyler refused to press any charges on Nellie for what she did so she ended up getting away with just a slap on the wrist."

"Did you talk to her after that?" Jimmy asked.

"A lot at first but over time we stopped talking, we all tried to stay in touch with her, we loved her but she moved to Paramus and she got a fresh start she cut out me, she cut Mimi out and last but not least she cut out Tyler."

"What a bitch." Hannah said. "You guys just wanted to help. And after that psycho move she pulled you think she would be a bit more appreciative."

"Well people are people." I sighed. "What I've learned is that we are all a little crazy. Some more then others but all crazy none the less. Trying to understand what people were thinking when they did it is just a waste of time and effort." I smiled. "How about I make some dinner since I have the feeling we'll be here a bit longer then planned?"


End file.
